Indicator bulb mounting

ABSTRACT

A MOUNTING FOR MINIATURE INDICATOR LIGHT BULBS HAVING BARE WIRE LEADS IS FORMED FROM TWO MOLDED PLASTIC PARTS, A BASE CONTAINING A CAVITY TO RECEIVE THE BULB, SAID BASE HAVING LONGITUDINAL CONTACTS EXTENDING ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF A CYLINDRICAL LOWER PROJECTION OF SAID BASE INTO THE CAVITY TO CONTACT THE LEADS OF A BULB, AND A LIGHT PASSING   COVER SNAPPED TO SAID BASE OVER THE CAVITY HOLDING A BULB THEREIN.

'Jan.2s,1 971 J 1.. v. @mw a 3,559,153

INDICATOR BULB MOUNTING Filed June 2, 1969 LOUIS v. CARTELLI BY 6L4 7:61

- ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,559,153 INDICATOR BULB MOUNTING Louis V. Cartelli, 1304 146th St.,

Whitestone, N-Y. 11357 Filed June 2, 1969, Ser. No. 829,603 Int. Cl. H011- 13/66 US. Cl. 339126 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mounting for miniature indicator light bulbs having bare wire leads is formed from two molded plastic parts, a base containing a cavity to receive the bulb, said base having longitudinal contacts extending along opposite sides of a cylindrical lower projection of said base into the cavity to contact the leads of a bulb, and a light passing cover snapped to said base over the cavity holding a bulb therein. 1

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Small indicator bulbs having bare wire leads are used in a wide variety of locations in many applications. This invention provides a very inexpensive mounting for such bulbs which enables them to be replaced without soldering and allows them to be installed more easily in a wider variety of applications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a longitudinal, vertical section through a bulb mounting according to my invention with a bare wire lead miniature indicating bulb shown therein;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the bulb mounting taken on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the base of the bulb mounting; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of a conventional miniature indicating bulb having bare wire leads.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A standard bare wire lead bulb, known as a T-l bulb in the electronics industry, is shown in FIG. 5 and designated by the reference numeral 10. A T-l bulb would be about inch long and inch in diameter and have the uninsulated leads 11 and 12 extend from it. This invention provides a less expensive and more easily used mounting for indicator light bulbs 10.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, a base 14 is molded from any suitable plastic. Base 14 has an upper body portion 15 which contains the cavity 16. The lower outer surface of body portion 15 has a series of annular tapered ridges 17 and 18 formed thereon to secure the mounting in a suitable aperture in a sheet metal instrument frame or the like (not shown). A cylindrical lower projection 19 extends downward from the body portion 15 of base 14 and it contains the V-shaped longitudinal indentations 20 formed therein on opposite sides.

As may be seen in FIG. 4, arcuate longitudinal passages 21 are formed in base 14 above the indentations 20 and radially disposed just beyond the cylindrical lower projection 19. As may be seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, an elongated arcuate contacts 22 are inserted through the passages 21 so that they extend on each side of the indentations 20 "ice and extend into the cavity 16. As shown in FIG. 2, cavity 16 has two oppositely disposed larger radius portions 24 which receive the upper ends of the contacts 22 therein. Smaller radius portions 23 of cavity 16 are disposed between portions 24 and they receive the sides of a bulb 10 snugly. The larger radius portions 24 allow leads 11 and 12 of a bulb 10 to extend therein between bulb 10 and the contacts 22.

As may 'be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, a band 25 of a suitable fiexible plastic may be placed about the contacts 22 and the cylindrical lower projection 19 after the contacts 22 are inserted in base 14. The band 25 may be heat shrunk in place to firmly secure the contacts 22 within the base 14. It is to be noted that apertures 26, shown in FIG. 1, are provided in the contacts 22 so that solder connections may be made thereto; that the V-shaped indentations 20 will receive standard .040 inch connecting pins within them to bear against the contacts 22; and that the entire base 14 of the mounting may be received in a stand ard female socket containing two projecting .040 inch pins.

The top of base 14 has a smaller diameter annular ring 30 formed thereon so that a plastic translucent or clear cover 31 may be snapped in place about it. The cover 31 contains a cavity 32 to receive the top of bulb 10 so that cover 31 passes light through it and also secures the bulb 10 in place. Cover 31 may be molded from a colored plastic to provide an indicating light of any desired color.

While my invention has been shown and described in the best form known to me, it will nevertheless be understood that this is purely exemplary and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except as it may be more limited in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mounting for an indicator bulb having bare wire leads, said mounting comprising, in combination, a base having an upper body portion containing a cavity and having a lower projection, said base containing two longitudinal arcuate passages disposed radially outward from said lower projection, arcuate contacts in said passages extending adjacent to said lower projection and extending into said cavity, said cavity having oppositely disposed smaller radius portions between which said bulb seats and having larger radius portions into which said contacts extend, said leads extending into said larger radius portions between said bulb and said contacts, means securing said contacts in said base, a light passing cover over said cavity and said bulb, and means securing said cover to said base.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said lower projection of said base is cylindrical and contains two oppositely disposed longitudinal indentations, said contacts extending over said indentations.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said indentations are V-shaped to receive contact pins therein.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said means securing said contacts in said base is a band disposed about said contacts and said lower projection.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein said band is of plastic heat shrunk in position.

6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said means securing said cover to said base comprises a smaller diameter annular ring of said base about said cavity, said cover snapping about said ring.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said 3,115,308 12/1963 Stark 339-126X cover is cylindrical and contains a cavity receiving the 3,208,032 9/1965 Tilesi 33959X upper portion of said bulb. 3,217,319 11/1965 Rueger 339-1 26X 8. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said 3,233,033 2/ 1966 Mitchell 33959X upper body portion of said base has a series of annular 5 tapered ridges formed thereon. RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner References Cited US. Cl. X.R.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 339-59, 145

2,985,874 5/1961 Williams 340-381 10 

